Ultimates killing Elite second hand market?

I'm def trying sell off my older elites that I will replace with the "redone" ones. ex = HOC Rikishi replaced in my collection with the new one that just dropped.

All I know is I saw a guy try to sell a RSC all pink Bret MOC for $900 right after the Target ultimate was revealed and he got laughed out of the building. Justifiably so.

I think there's something to be said for the collector's market getting angry.

Hasbro has practically become a swear word by this point and I've heard people making comments about Mattel heading in the same direction. The prices have gone nuts and quality on the lower lines hasn't really kept up. Packaging changes for Hasbro are DOA and if Mattel joins them there will be rage across the board. Companies are digging deep into obscure versions of already saturated characters. While I'm all for the wrestlecrap figures, was anyone really screaming for a Farrooq Asad figure? Mean Mark I can understand. But Weasel Suit Heenan and WMX7 Chyna are good examples of versions of popular characters that didn't need made. And distribution is a joke at this point, that much is clear (but that's an entirely other rant to be had).

Also, as stated, the Ultimates are cannibalizing the Elite line. Why in the hey would anyone buy the basic or elite cowboy brock when the Ultimate is right there. Same with Ultimate Roman, why would you ever need to buy any of the umpteen Elite Roman figures when the Ultimate is far better? The Exclusive Macho is another example. And the Warrior. Jury is clearly still out on Bret but seriously, why spend money on the elites when you can get an objectively better Ultimate?

And then there's the straight re-releases. The Greatest Hits line has the potential to destroy the resale value of some HTF older elites. They're the same figures with better paint at retail prices. Why would you bother with the original versions? (Note: MOC is a good reason to do just that, but not everyone is MOC)

Anyway, Figurnomics have taken a heck of a turn in the past few months and with the way the world is going, I expect it to continue.

I'm mostly done at this point anyway. I've been trying to create space, but I just sold 36 Elites with the Main Event Goldberg ring for 200 dollars. That would've been a 500+ haul a few years ago. For me I've just kind of run out of characters. Still I'll pick up the Hogans that use the proper parts and skin tone (and Mr. America with the crappy parts and crappy skin tone....Bill you bastard!...), but I have more than enough or too much of everyone else (sometimes one is too much).

I've been plenty critical of Mattel.  But I really don't put Mattel and Hasbro in the same boat.  I went from actively buying Classified, ML, and Star Wars Black, and Lightning Collection to only Classified.  Hasbro raised price points every few months while continuing a TON of parts reuse, repaints, and recycled characters.  Plus the windowless packaging mess.  The price and value just feels completely out of whack as a buyer, and I haven't missed those lines.

I haven't loved the price increases, but I feel like Mattel has hit an absolute sweet spot with design, line construction, and character choices.  They're turning out some exceptional figures, mixing in both deep cuts, current roster talent, and re-imagining some classics and figures that rose on the secondary market.  I've been buying more than ever, but they've earned the dollars in my eyes.

I'm happy to see the market correct.  Figures should be accessible to all collectors.  And secondary market spikes and speculation only fueled hoarding by scalpers and local vendors, choking supply while demand rose.  You shouldn't have to pay 1.5-3X retail for a figure that came out within the past few months, nor should an older figure cost a car payment, imo.  Mattel has been able to make collecting accessible, while not just pumping out straight up re-releases as a cash grab.

Not everyone will be available, since the legends roster issues remain.  But I think think we're in a place where they've innovated in ways that keep the line fresh a decade in for franchised collectors, while making it accessible to newer collectors.  We're sort of in uncharted territory for one company and one design style living on this long, and I give Mattel a ton of credit for taking steps that should continue to give the line life.

I for one welcome this. Bring the prices down! I get them not wanting to decrease from your cost but treating them as an investment? Ruins it for everyone.

I never really thought about this. I didn't think there were enough wrestlers with Ultimate figures to really do damage to the Elite line as a whole. Certain wrestlers, sure. Certain outfits, sure. Most 95% of Elites won't get an Ultimate counterpart (unless they've announced a big change somewhere) so where's the worry?

Personally, I don't like Ultimates. I had the Bret Hart, and sold it because I thought the Elite was better. The torso articulation did nothing. Most of the new Ultimates look cartoonishly muscular to me, with the weird butterfly shoulders.

I never understood why but in every video I’ve ever seen of Bill or Steve talking they seem to hate that figures are selling for so much on the secondary market. They seem to forget that the ppl selling those figures are customers of Mattel too. The straight up re-release of the greatest hits figures, same old 15-20 legends wrestlers produced over and over again, terrible distribution, rising prices and terrible quality control really has me cutting way down on the number of figures I buy. I am excited about the Headshrinkers and Jeff Jarrett coming thou.

I still prefer the DM Warrior to the WM7 UE Warrior. Even though it isnt as accurate and detailed.